This dish really highlights the amazing flavor of fennel as it transforms from fresh and crispy to sweet, meaty and caramelly when slow cooked.It’s simple and so spectacular. This dish is no waste as well, using the fennel tops at the end to add a fragrant, fresh element to the dish.Serve with fish, chicken, roast meats, spoon over marinated feta and enjoy on its own or slice the cooked fennel and spoon it with the butterbeans and fennel tops, through some cooked pasta with more lemon, olive oil and some parmesan to finish.
Ingredients
- 1 large head fennel - trimmed, tops reserved
- ¼ cup olive oil - + extra to drizzle
- salt
- pepper
- 3 cloves garlic - roughly chopped
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 can butterbeans - drained, rinsed
- ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Place a large frying pan over medium/high heat and add the olive oil and fennel.
- Season well with salt and pepper and cook for a couple of minutes, until it begins to color.
- Flip the fennel onto the other cut side and cook until that begins to caramelize nicely.
- Scatter the garlic over the fennel and gently shake the pan to let the garlic fall through.
- Add the white wine to the pan, reduce the heat and cover with a lid.
- Simmer the fennel for 8-10 minutes, topping up with a little water if needed.
- Remove the lid and scatter over the dried chilli.
- To serve, roughly slice the reserved fennel tops and add to the pan with the butterbeans, squeeze over the lemon and finish with an extra drizzle of olive oil.